Sunderland to welcome the 2022 Tour of Britain

SUNDERLAND TO WELCOME THE 2022 TOUR OF BRITAIN

Sunderland will play a starring role when the Tour of Britain, the UK's most prestigious cycle race, heads there for the first time in 2022.

The historic North East city will host the finish of stage three on Tuesday 6 September, as the eight-day event works its way down from Aberdeenshire to the Isle of Wight.

Over 100 of the world's best riders will compete in the 18^th edition of the race, with a large crowd comprising both local residents and cycling fans expected to turn out for this unforgettable, free-to-watch spectacle.

While it may be the modern race's first visit to Sunderland, the city welcomed the Milk Race - a semi-professional forerunner of the Tour of Britain - on multiple occasions during its 35-year history. It also hosted a round of the Tour Series, Britain's leading domestic cycle race series, in August 2021 on a circuit centered around the historic Mowbray Park.

Councillor Graeme Miller, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to be welcoming the UK's most prestigious cycle race to our city for the very first time in September. The Tour of Britain is a hugely popular event and hosting the tour presents the perfect opportunity for showcasing our fabulous city.  

The sheer spectacle of over a 100 of the world's best riders racing through our city will truly be a sight to behold. It promises to be a brilliant day out for residents and visitors alike and one which we hope people will flock to see. 

"We're also hoping that seeing elite riders in action will inspire more people to take to their bikes as part of our exciting programme of swim bike run activities in the coming years. This is all about encouraging more people to be get active and take advantage of our wonderful city, green spaces and fantastic coastline, not to mention all the physical and mental health benefits that being active brings with it."

The full route for stage three, including the start venue and finish location, will be revealed in due course.

Today's announcement forms part of the race's host region reveal, which also confirmed a much-anticipated return to Yorkshire and first-ever full stages in Dorset and Gloucestershire.

This year's Tour of Britain will visit the following regions:

Stage one       Sunday 4 September              Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Stage two       Monday 5 September             South of Scotland

Stage three    Tuesday 6 September            North East of England and Sunderland

Stage four      Wednesday 7 September       Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire

Stage five       Thursday 8 September           Nottinghamshire

Stage six        Friday 9 September                Gloucestershire

Stage seven   Saturday 10 September          Dorset

Stage eight     Sunday 11 September            Isle of Wight

While spectators can watch all the action by the roadside for free, race day hospitality packages offer guaranteed prime views of stage starts and finishes, complete with fine dining experiences. Visit  sportsbreaks.com/cycling for more information.

ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch wherever they are. The race will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide, in part thanks to the event's partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.

Last year's star-studded race was won by Belgian rider Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo - Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall.

A roadside crowd of over one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline. The race is a finalist in the Sporting Event of the Year category at the Event Production Awards, which takes place in London next Thursday (17 February).

About the Tour of Britain

Relaunched in 2004 after a five-year absence from the calendar, the Tour of Britain is British Cycling's premier road cycling event, held annually across eight days in September.

The free-to-watch sporting spectacular features Olympic, world and Tour de France champions, and attracts a roadside audience of over 1.5m spectators. Live coverage of the race is shown daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world. The Tour of Britain is part of the UCI ProSeries, making it one of the most prestigious sporting events in the sport's global calendar.

Follow the Tour of Britain on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or via the event's official website at tourofbritain.co.uk.